Paula Karhunen appointed as HYY’s secretary general
NEWS
In its meeting on 9 October 2025, the Representative Council of the Student Union of the University of Helsinki (HYY) appointed Student of Social Sciences Paula Karhunen as its secretary general. Paula has been serving as the substitute for HYY’s secretary general on a fixed-term contract since mid-November 2024.
The secretary general serves as the supervisor of the Student Union’s personnel and the Board’s right hand, prepares the Representative Council meetings, runs other administrative matters and coordinates advocacy work and the Student Union’s influencing relationships.
‘It is great for us to have Paula continue in the position. I am very happy with the appointment. The working group that prepared the recruitment believes that Paula is the right person to lead the Student Union as we face major changes’, Chair of the Board Pulli states.
Paula has a lot of experience with advocacy work in the student movement. She has served on HYY’s Board in 2019 and the Board of the National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) in 2020. She is acting as a student representative on the Board of the University of Helsinki until the end of 2025. She has also been active in the Greens for a long time, having served on the Board of the Green Youth and Students, for instance. Paula also has previous experience of expert duties from her time with Ellun kanat, for instance. Paula has served as the substitute for HYY’s secretary general on a fixed-term contract for around one year.
‘It has been very rewarding to return to the Student Union. Every day, I get to admire the active, critical and cognisant students growing in HYY, working for a better world. It is a joy to serve the Student Union’, Paula concludes.
Further information
Paula Karhunen
040 081 6426
paula.karhunen@hyy.fi
Petra Pulli
Chair of the Board
050 475 1280
petra.pulli@hyy.fi
